Changeable exhibitor



June 20, 1933. c HlGGlNs 1,915,127

CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR Filed Jan. 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jwvenior:tiaa'icfimygaus,

June 20, 1933.

C. F. HIGGINS CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR Filed Jan. 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 23 7 0 m 6 //L W mu 4U A w a 7 l/ M 6 M E 5, w

0 a a fl I fhveflior: laris Ffiigglns, y M V W Patented June 20, 1933UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I. HIGGINS, OF- HIELROSE HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO K. S. BALLS, F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS CHANGEABLEEXHIBITOR Application filed January as, 1930. Serial No. 422,790.

This invention relates to changeable exhibitors of the class in whichinterchangeable plates are presented to view through one or 7 moreapertures in the housing. While the 1nvention is susceptible of use forvarious purposes, it is particularly intended to use as a sign to beemplo ed at places where gasoline is sold, to show t e price per gallon,and also,

v if desired, he price computatlon for various amounts of gasoline inexcess of one gallon.

The invention will best be understood by- I reference to the followingdescription, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings ofone specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a changeableexhibitorembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, as viewed from the bottom;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view online ,Fig. 1; Fig. Fig. 3; Fig. Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the exhibitor as 1t appears with the innercarrier for the plates withdrawn from the housing;

4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of 5 is a sectional view on line 55 ofFig. 7 is a detail plan of a portion of the carrier on an enlargedscale;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 8-8 of Figifl;and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of the invention whichis illustrated therein, there is shown an exhibitor comprising a housing11, conveniently made of sheet metal, and herein comprisingcomplementary sections 12, each of which is provided with two flanges13, best shown in Fig. 2, overlapping each other and convenientlysecured togather as by spot-welding at several points, such as the spots14 in Fig. 1. One edge of the housing, herein the top, is permanentlyclosed by a cap15, which, as shown in Figs.

1 and 5, is provided on all sides with a flange or flanges 16,conveniently secured to the sections 12 by spot-welding, as at thepoints 17 The housing may be mounted on an appropri ate support, as bythe use of a pair of brackets 18, conveniently secured to the housing,as. by spot-welding at the points 19.

The housing is-provided with one or more apertures 20, through which theplates, cards or other matter to be displayed may be viewed. In thepresent example, there are two such apertures at opposite sides of thehouslng, and the margins of these apertures are provided withinwardly-directed flanges 21,.best shown in Fig. 3. Herein, the housing1s open at the bottom to permit the introduction and removal of acarrier presently to be described. This opening is best shown in Fig.1,and is designated 22. As shown, the housing is strengthened between itslower edges and the lower edges of the apertures 20 by ribs 23 pressedoutwardly.

In Fig. 6, the exhibitor is shown as it appears with the carrierwithdrawn downwardly from within the housing. As herein shown, thecarrier comprises two uprights 24, conveniently in the form of channelbars, which as shown in Fig. 7 are provided with inwardly-directedflanges 25. These uprights are connected to each other by a horizontaltie-piece 26, hereinhaving a channel-shaped cross section (see Fig. 8),and provided with ac upwardly-directed flanges 27 which are conveniently united with the flanges 25 by spotwelding at 28. While thismeans of attachment might be suflicient in and of itself, in the presentexample the tie-piece is provided with upwardly-directed tabs or flanges28 united with the uprights as by spot-welding.

The two opposite faces of the framework of the carrier as thusconstituted are covered by transparent plates, such as sheets of glass29, which as shown have their vertical margins received in rabbets 30(see Fig. 7), presented by the flanges 25, while the lower horizontalmargins of the glass'plates are 95 overlapped by the u wardly-directedflanges 27 (see Fig. 8). he glass plates are conveniently held in placeby providing each flange" 25 with a tongue 31, which overlies the outerface of the glass near the top, 100

The carrier as thus constituted is thrust up-i wardly through the bottomopening 22 into the housing, and when in place,- may be retained thereinby appropriate means, such as that now to be described, reference beinghad at first to Fig. 4. Each pair of flanges 13 at one end is providedwith a slot 34 to receive a locking member 35, which as shown extendsfrom side to side through both slots, but may be withdrawn from theslots, thereby to unlock the carrier from the housing, and to permit thecarrier to be withdrawn downwardly. This is conveniently accomplished inthe resent example by forming the central portlon of the lockingmemberas a spring 36, whose'sides may be squeezed toward each other towithdraw the ends of the locking member from the slots. This spring alsoprovides a convenient handle to be grasped in manipulating the carrier,and moving it about. -When it is to be employed in this manner, thelockingbar should be attached ,to the carrier, as by short crosspieces37 suitably secured to the bottom cross member 26, as by spot-welding at38.

Herein, the bottom cross member is formed to provide in its under side achannel 39 (see Fig. 8), to receive the locking bar and at the same timean elevated support 40 for the lower edges of the plates or cards. Thisformation of the bottom memher also provides at each side of. theelevated support a depressed channel 41 which is in the nature of agutter to carry away any water which might leak into the housing. Thesechannels have outlets 42 at each end for the escape of the water. Byelevating the lower edges of the plates and by providing channels forconducting the water away, any moisture which might possibly enter thebottom cross member is prevented from injuring the plates.

The carrier as thus constituted provides a container for one or moreplates to be dis played. The term plates as used in this connection isintended to mean sheets of metal, cardboard or other appropriatematerial, bearing the character, characters or other data or material tobe displayed. While the carrier might serve for a display of a singleplate to be viewed from both sides through the windows presented by thecarrier and the housing when assembled, as herein shown, each windowafl'ords a view of a plurality of plates 43, and to facilitate thedisplay of any desired group of characters, there are several packs ofthe cards or lates (see Fig. 3), the plates of each pack inginterchangeable. Separation of the packs from one another isconveniently accomplished bythe provision of holders, herein sheets 44of metal, providedwith one or more ribs 45 forming compartments orpockets. Thus, each rib constitutes a separator disposed betweenadjacent edges of two packs of plates. The two holders are placed backto back, and. the depth of the ribs is such that they fit snugly betweenand are pressed against the inner faces of the glass plates 29, therebypreventing any possibility of the plates 43 becoming displaced.

When a change of the display is to be made, as when there is a change inthe price of gasoline, this is cgnveniently accomplished by firstunlocking the carrier from the housing and withdrawing the former fromthe latter (see Fig. 6), whereupon the desired interchange of plates canbe made. If the weather should be stormy, or if the change is to be madeat night when the light might be insufficient out of doors, the carriercan be removed from the housing and taken indoors into the gasolinestation, when the change can be made and the glass washed or wiped, ifdesired, after which the carrier can be taken The construction of theexhibitor ,is such that there is little, if an chance for moisture toenter the same, but i perchance any slight amount of moisture shouldenter, it gravitates to the channels 41, which drain it away without anypossibility of injury to the plates.

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, but withoutlimiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent tosecure is:

1. In a changeable exhibitor, the combination of a housing havingoppositely directed, display openings, a carrier normally housed withinsaid housing and Withdrawable in a downward directiontherefrom, saidcarrier being rovided with vertical guides, opposit-elv acing platescarried by said carrier displayed through said openings, respectively,and guided by said guides and withdrawable therefrom in an upwarddirection after said carrier has been withdrawn from said housing, andmeans normally to prevent said carrier from gravitating from saidhousing.

innercas ng and presented to view through said oppositely facingopenings, and transparent plates carried by said inner casing andextending across said oppositely facing openings, respectively.

3. In a changeable exhibitor, the combination of a plurality of plates,inner and outer casings, each provided with a chamber, the chamber ofsaid inner casing housing said plates, said outer casing being closed atthe top and having an opcnin g at the bottom, and said inner casingbeing open at the top for the insertion and removal of a plate andclosed at the sides and bottom to support the platefsaid casings havingregistering openings through which the plate may be viewed, and meansnormally to prevent said inner casing from gravitating through saidopening in the bottom of said outer casing, sai means being movable topermit the downward removal of said inner casing.

4. In a changeable exhibitor, the combination of a plate, a plateholder, a carrier which receives said holder, and a housing whichreceives said carrier; said carrier and said housing having registeringopenings through which said platemay be viewed.

5. In a changeable exhibitor, the combination of a plurality of plates,a plurality of plate holders, a carrier which receives said holders inabutting relationship, and a housing which receives said carrier; saidcarrier and said housing being constructed to afford a view of saidplates, simultaneously.

6. In a changeable exhibitor, the combination ofa plurality of plates, aplurality of plate holders having compartments in their outer faces,saidholders being disposed back to back, a carrier which receives saidholders, and a housing which receives said carrier; said carrier andsaid housing having registering openings through which said plates maybe viewed.

7. In 'a changeable exhibitor, the combination of oppositely facingplates, plate.

holding means in which said plates are held,

a. carrier for saidplate-holding means, a

housing which houses said carrier, said plates and said plate-holdingmeans and is provided with oppositely facing apertures through whichsaid oppositely facing plates may be viewed,'and transparent platesextending acrosssaid apertures, respectively.

8. In a changeable exhibitor, the combination of two sets of plates,each set facing in a direction opposite to the other, plateholding meanshaving two sets of compartments in. which said two'sets of plates areheld, a carrier which carries said plate-holding means, a housing whichhouses said carrier, said plates and said plate-holding means,

and is provided with oppositely facing apertures through which saidoppositely facing sets of plates may be viewed, and transparent platesextending across said apertures, respectively.

9. In a changeable exhibitor, the combination of two sets of plates(each set facing in a direction opposite to the other, plateholdingmeans having ribs forming two sets of compartments in which saidtwo setsof plates are held, a carrier which carries said plate-holding means, ahousing which houses said carrier, said plates and said plate-holdingmeans and is provided with oppositely facing apertures through whichsaid oppositely facing sets of plates may be viewed, and transparentplates extending across said apertures, respectively.

10. In a changeable exhibitor, the'combination of twosets of plates,each set facing in a direction opposite to the other, plateholding meanshaving two sets of compartd ments in which said two sets of plates areheld, a carrier which carries said plateholding means, transparentplates carried by said carrier and extending across said two sets ofplates, respectively, and a housing which houses said carrier and isprovided with oppositely facing apertures through which said oppositelyfacing sets of plates may be viewed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CLARK F. HIGGINS.

